Category: Auto

Holidays are the most traveled days of the year. Families going home to see loved ones, traveling distances they wouldn’t normally travel so they can be home for the holidays with the ones they love. But before you travel there are some things you need to consider.

Consider your carbon footprint – You can calculate your air and vehicle travels CO2 emissions and find out ways to reduce them by clicking here.

Travel by Car – If you don’t already own a hybrid, rent one if you have to drive. They will be more expensive to rent than a standard car but they save on fuel and have decreased emissions.

Air Travel – Airplanes are major contributors to the global carbon emissions equation, so its greenest to try and reduce your air travel. But if you must travel by air try these three tips. 1. Bring your own stuff, instead of using the disposables offered by the airlines, 2. Travel in a new plane, 3. Buy carbon credits to offset your air travel.

Train Travel – Train travel is much faster, more comfortable and gives off fewer emissions than airplanes and buses, making train travel the preferred way to travel when thinking green.

While much of being green means, walking or riding your bike to and fro, there are still times when you need a car to get you from one place to the other. So for those instances its best to keep your vehicle running at peak performance, which in turn reduces your emissions.

Below are 10 tips to maintaining a car in a more sustainable way.

1. Maintenance – Keep current with your vehicle maintenance, such as tune-ups and oil changes. By replacing the oil and oil filters, it improves the fuel efficiency and helps the vehicle to last longer. Make sure and recycle old batteries when they need to be replaced.

5. Tires – Check the air pressure in a car’s tires regularly; under inflated tires require an engine to work harder and use more fuel to maintain a given speed. And make sure the car is in alignment, unaligned tires wear out faster.